Eyes So Wide
by dustinsgrl
Summary: Post War. Marlin soon discovers that the unspeakable could be rising again...within himself.To what extent will he go to save everyone including himself?  Summary sucks, please give it a try. RandR, plz. :D
1. Chapter 1

The dark-haired boy dragged his heavy, old trunk down the narrow train corridor. Many of the compartments were full of excited first years eager to begin their magical training; other compartments had students just ready for the first term of the year to begin. The boy avoided these smiling faces, in favor of a dimly-lit, empty compartment near the back of the train. He entered and dropped his things, the musky, leather trunk thudding loudly. He flopped onto the seat and exhaled slowly.

A low, annoyed hoot demanded his attention. His eyes traveled to a rusty owl cage. "I know, I know, Bludgeon. You didn't want to leave Durmstrang." The ancient-looking creature gave another annoyed hoot (sounding strangely like some kind of growl) and carefully turned his back to the boy. "Careful. You don't want to break your hip," the boy mumbled bitterly. "Decrepit beast," he breathed quietly.

Now his eyes fixed onto the old trunk. "It is the only thing left of your father, and now it's yours." The old hag that he'd been living with his whole life never told him anything else about his father. Even when his curiosity turned to begging to know, the begging turned to shouts, which all led to his tears. The leather on the trunk was worn away at places, revealing the dark wood underneath. The boy reached out and ran his hand lovingly across the lid.

Suddenly, the door to his compartment flew open. He inhaled sharply and yanked his hand back into his lap. A pair of surprised, green eyes stared into his eyes. "Oh, wow. I'm so sorry. I didn't know anyone was in here." The girl's cheeks were wet and she quickly ran her sleeves across them, which only reddened them and made it more apparent that she'd been crying. She gestured to a dark brown bag and trunk. The boy cursed himself for not noticing them in the first place. "If you want to be alone, I'll get my things and find somewhere else." Her voice squeaked sadly.

"Of course." The boy answered. Her long, blond curls fell over her shoulder as her back slumped. "Oh, I mean, no, no! It's okay. You can stay." He cleared his throat, embarrassed.

The girl straightened quickly and smiled a dazzling smile. "Thanks." Her green eyes sparkled. She jumped onto the seat across from him. She patted her knees and clicked her tongue. A ball of purring fur seemed to apparate into her lap. She petted it cheerfully. "This is Spud."

"He's rather cute." The boy smiled as he watched the kitten bat at her fingers.

There was rustling of feathers as Bludgeon spun on his perch to glare at his owner. His glower implied, Traitor. "Aww, how adorable. Barn owl?" The girl sat the small kitten on the seat beside her so that she could lean closer to the owl's cage. She looked up at the boy expecting an answer. He nodded and gave a nervous smile; he hoped desperately that for once the senile owl would behave and wouldn't peak her finger off. His fear was smothered as she reached a finger into the cage and scratched Bludgeon's head. The owl closed his beady eyes in ecstasy. When she was done petting him, she sat back up and the owl gave the young man a smug look.

"I'm Lezlie. Lezlie Worthington. And you are?" She held her tiny hand out to shake his.

"Marlin. Marlin, uh." He never knew what to say here. "Uh, just Marlin."

Lezlie's eyes filled with curiosity. He recognized that look. Here come the questions. But she didn't ask him any.

"So, uh, why were you, well, you know…" He hated himself for never having anyone to talk to. Her face was open and waiting. "Well, um, why were you-"

"Crying?" He nodded quickly, thankful that she had finished the question for him. "Bullies. I hate them. But Hogwarts has its share of them. Urgh!" After making a goofy face, she smiled at him again, making Marlin's heart skip. Not that he had feelings for this girl, but because he was making a friend, his first friend.

"I know what you mean. It was rough at my last school, too." Oh, boy, did he know. He was the primary target for the boys back at Durmstrang. Everyday at that bloody school had been full of snide comments and getting black eyes, even a few wedgies.

"Oh, and where was that?" She asked.

"Durmstrang."

"Oh!" She looked completely shocked.

"What? What is it?"

"It's just, well, you don't sound funny. I mean, not that people from Durmstrang sound funny. It's just you don't have an accent." Her cheeks turned a deep pink.

He laughed, then felt surprised that he was so comfortable talking to her. "I'm actually from around here. I think my guardian just wanted to send me as far away from her as possible." Lezlie laughed, she thought he was joking. He laughed, too.

She continued to smile warmly at him. "I'm a fifth year student. What about you?"

It took Marlin a moment to get over how old she was. She didn't look any older than fourteen. "Sixth."

She nodded, "I hope we have some classes together. Are you any good in Transfiguration? I hope so, because I'm just terrible at it." She spoke rapidly. He almost laughed out loud.

"Yes, I'm pretty good with it." Just as he finished speaking the train lurched forward.

As the two talked, the landscape flew by the windows. Marlin loved the view and told Lezlie as much. "Yeah, it's pretty, but I don't know." He asked what she had meant by saying 'I don't know.' She answered him uncertainly, "I have just always wanted something different. A life full of something more, um, exciting." Marlin nodded like he understood exactly what she meant. He did not, of course, because he just wanted to live normally. Dare he think even without magic? He had even dreamed about being a muggle a few times. He couldn't remember ever meeting a mean muggle, but that may have been because he hadn't met many of them.

About an hour into the train ride the trolley made its round. Marlin bought a Chocolate Frog and Lezlie chose several boxes of Every Flavor Beans. "You're brave, you know. I never ate another jelly bean after my first." Lezlie tilted her head at this. "It tasted like rotten eggs," he made a disgusted face as he said this.

Lezlie giggled for about ten minutes. Finally, she managed to choke out, "I like adventure, remember?"

The train arrived near the school after dark. As he gathered his things Lezlie patted his back. "Don't worry too much. I like it here." She smiled her magnificent smile again. He smiled back at her. He thought to himself, I'm beginning to think that I will, too.

Lezlie waited patiently for Marlin to throw his robe back on and then giggled as he walked toward the compartment door, headed toward the corridor. "Huh?" He was utterly confused as to what she thought was so funny.

He followed her gaze to the rusted cage, which held a pile of ruffled feathers and glowering yellow eyes. "Oh!" He dashed to the cage and grabbed hold of the hoop at the top of the cage. Unfortunately, Bludgeon's small head could fit enough out of the bars to pinch a large portion of Marlin's hand with his beak. Marlin immediately dropped the cage with a loud clatter and rubbed his hand. "Damned monster!"

Lezlie lifted the cage (without any trouble) and sat Bludgeon on the seat where Marlin had sat before. "Actually, you don't take your owl or luggage. They'll be in your dorm after we meet in the Great Hall." She ruffled the old owl's head again and hopped up to lead the way.

Lezlie scuttled hurriedly toward a carriage. Marlin was almost sprinting to keep up. "Hey! What are you doing?" Marlin huffed out, while simultaneously trying to catch his breath. "They look kind of menacing, don't they?" She turned to Marlin and smiled in confusion with her head slightly cocked. Marlin's eyes widened as one of the white-eyed creatures stomped an impatient hoof and ducked its head under a wing to scratch.

Lezlie's right eyebrow was still arched in utter confusion. "Whatever are you talking about, Marlin?"

"The-Those, those evil-looking brutes." Marlin hung back, still staring at the strange creatures.

A deep and emotionless voice crept darkly over them. "I have told you once, Lezliane, and I hope this will be the last, they are Thestrals, and they are real." A tall, slim boy with strangely styled, black hair swept past Marlin and stepped up into the carriage.

"Hello, Vivikus." Lezlie mocked in a drone, much like the new addition's. He held a long, pale hand down to her; she took it and he pulled her effortlessly up. "Thanks," Lezlie turned back to Marlin and motioned for him to hurry. "By the way, this is my new friend, Marlin. Marlin, this is Vivikus Dumbolium." Vivikus sat without as much as a glance in Marlin's direction.

Marlin gave the nearest skeletal horse a nervous look. He then proceeded to struggle up into the carriage. Finally, he managed to haul himself up and into a seat. His slim build couldn't take too much more of this. He felt his entire face redden when he saw Lezlie struggling to hold back a giggle. The pale boy, Vivikus, watched him with what seemed like contempt. "Are you okay?" Lezlie had managed to keep down the laughter.

Marlin nodded, embarrassed.

He suddenly looked around worriedly. "Where's Spud?" Images of a poor kitten's fur being melted away by a skeletal monsters stomach acid filled his mind.

"Don't worry," Lezlie pulled an orange ball of fur from under her oversized robe. "He clings to my sweater with his claws. He is strange." She gave a soft laugh. Marlin noticed Vivikus roll his eyes and look away; he appeared embarrassed for them both.

A head of brown curls bobbed into view, directly in front of Marlin. Someone was swinging from the tree branch above. "Ugly, little fuzz ball." A young boy with a strong jaw line and hazel eyes hopped down, and landed gracefully in the carriage.

Lezlie's expression showed hurt until she realized who had said something so mean about her Spudykins. "Oh, Mark. Stop picking on Spudy." She slapped him playfully on the arm.

"I really am sorry about Bertie the Bird. I didn't mean to-." Mark started and was quickly interrupted by Lezlie, "No, no. It's alright. You've apologized a hundred times." The boy lowered his head and gave the floor of the carriage a small, crooked smile. He sat down beside Vivikus and turned to him. "Hey, Viv," he said cheerily, extending his hand.

"How many times do I have to tell you bunch of idiots that my name is Vivikus?" At this Mark's face and his hand fell. Vivikus quickly answered, "But hello." Mark began to smile again.

The line of carriages began to move toward the castle. Everyone was silent for the first few minutes of the ride. "So? What has everyone been up to?" Lezlie beamed at them all.

"Well, me and Father went to the States over the summer. We had a wonderful time." Mark flashed a smile at Lezlie before continuing. "And you, Lez? How was your summer vacation?"

Marlin watched as the familiar rose color crept up her neck and to her cheeks. "I had a boring summer actually. I had to babysit a couple of toddlers to save up for my new cauldron. You remember my last one cracked." She giggled.

"And that would have nothing to do with the fact that it bounced down three flights of stairs, would it?" Vivikus gave her a smug grimace (for it could hardly be called a smile).

Lezlie blushed a deeper color before turning to Marlin, "I'm pretty clumsy." She giggled somewhat nervously. Marlin nodded with understanding.

"You don't talk much, do you?" Mark questioned Marlin.

"His name is Marlin." Vivikus told Mark. The carriages had come to a halt in front of the castle. Vivikus and Mark were the first on the ground. They raced into the castle, pushing past the crowd of students and professors.

Lezlie laughed heartily at the boys," They really are terrible." Lezlie detected the nervous look in Marlin's eyes. "Don't worry, Marlin. They're nice. And I can tell that they like you."

Marlin just swallowed at nodded to her.


	2. Chapter 2

The warm atmosphere of the castle shocked Marlin when he stepped in. The Great Hall, as Marlin learned it was called, was alight with candles, which hung suspended below the ceiling. He marveled at the ceiling which exactly mimicked the sky outside. Lezlie giggled at his widened eyes. She gestured for him to follow her. Then she paused, "Well, actually, I'm not sure how this will work." Suddenly, Marlin was seized roughly by his arm. He inhaled sharply, a sound like a growl gurgling up his throat.

"Are you Mr. Marlin, the new student?" A stern, female voice questioned. Marlin turned to focus on the adult. He nodded. The older lady had a sharp nose, and quite a few wrinkles. Her hair was tied into a tight bun atop her head. The woman looked down on the boy and he watched as her eyes widened slightly and she gasped quietly. Marlin's brows furrowed in confusion, but she quickly composed herself. "Very well, listen closely. You may sit wherever you wish, with your new friend Lezliane, if you please. However, when the Sorting and the following feast are finished, you are to come to me. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am." Marlin answered with a whisper. He absolutely hated when attention was drawn to him and right then every face in the Hall was staring at him.

The woman released his arm and he stumbled to Lezlie. "Who was that?"

She answered cheerfully, "Professor MacGonagall. I bet she plans on having you Sorted after the feast."

Marlin scratched his head in confusion. "Huh?"

"You will be Sorted into a House by the Sorting Hat." Lezlie smiled encouragingly at him.

"Oh, yes. I remember reading about that in Hogwarts, A History. There's Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and, uh-"

"Hufflepuff," Lezlie finished for him.

"Which are you in?" Marlin asked with curiosity.

"Hufflepuff. So is Mark." Lezlie led him to the Hufflepuff table. Most of the students at the table wore yellow and black striped shirts underneath their robes. Marlin then noticed that both Mark and Lezlie wore matching shirts.

Marlin was deeply intrigued by the Sorting Hat's song and he enjoyed the feast. He filled his stomach with roast, peas, soup, and pumpkin juice. His stomach felt tight and his eyelids became droopy. Mark and Marlin slowly grew comfortable with one another. Lezlie tried a few jokes and only succeeded in making the two boys laugh at her attempts (not meanly, of course), but she was satisfied with that.

Then, to Marlin's extreme horror, the teacher he had learned was Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly. The loud noise in the Hall slightly decreased. Then her voice boomed across the Hall, "Excuse me, students." There was a painfully deafening silence then. "I would like to introduce Hogwarts' first exchange student in the history of the school. Marlin." Marlin felt his whole body burn with embarrassment. "Marlin, please stand." Marlin stood shakily. She gestured for him to come to her. He walked toward her. He arrived in front of her, what seemed like an eternity later. "We hope you enjoy it here, Marlin. Now please follow Professor Trelawney."

Marlin followed a tall, thin teacher with long, curly hair and very thick spectacles. Her voice was nervous, like a mouse that knew it was soon to be swallowed up by a snake. "Just f-follow me." He almost felt like telling her that he was, indeed, following her.

They went up a flight of stairs and came to a rest in front of a statue. It was a hideous statue of a gargoyle. It looked like it was carved to frighten people away at the mere sight of it. Marlin certainly felt like dashing away and back down the stairs to his new friends. "Newt Scamander." The crouched over professor mumbled to the beast.

To Marlin's great surprise, the gargoyle came to life and moved aside, revealing a tightly curving set of moving stairs. Professor Trelawney led him upwards.

Marlin stood alone in a huge room. The strange professor that led him to the room had swooped out almost as soon as she'd stepped in. The room had a high ceiling, it raised scarily above Marlin's head. A thin candelabrum burned bright blue candles near a large oak desk. An overstuffed chair stood before the desk, as if to comfort a terrified student before delivering a painful penalty. The burning candles smelled of lilacs. Marlin inhaled the scent as he took a seat in the heavily cushioned chair in front of the desk. He looked around the room and noticed a long line of portraits, most of which the inhabitants were snoozing. The largest one, hanging on the wall directly behind the dark oak desk, was of a noble-looking man. His hair and beard were long and white. His eyes were a deep blue, so deep Marlin could almost read the man's soul; he had to have been an honorable man.

The grating sound of the stone gargoyle moving away from the door shook Marlin's already jumbled nerves. He attempted to settle his churning thoughts and appear at ease. All he managed was a strained expression.

The bird-faced woman, McGonagall, walked briskly through the door and took her seat behind the desk. "Now, I will properly introduce myself. I am Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I also picked my Transfiguration class back up, so you will call me Professor. Understood." Marlin opened his mouth to mutter his understanding, but the Headmistress continued sternly. "Due to the rarity of your situation, meaning this has never happened at Hogwarts before, we must do things a little differently." She stood and walked to the front of her desk. She motioned with her wand and mouthed the words, "Accio Sorting Hat." The old moldy hat levitated across the room from the pillow it had been resting on. She grabbed it carefully from the air and turned to face him. "You've heard of Hogwarts Houses, yes?"

Marlin nodded worried. Professor McGonagall lifted the Hat up and headed with it toward his head. He watched her nervously. Then, as the Hat landed on his head and slid down past his eyes, all he saw was darkness. For some reason, it probably being his imagination, it seemed stifling hot inside its darkness.

For what seem like forever, nothing happened. Marlin bit his lip nervously. _What is supposed to happen? _Marlin wondered. He knew it was supposed to shout out the House name he belonged in, but how did it decide his fate?

A small, quiet voice stole his breath away. It said,

"I am supposed to tell you where you belong

In this school of crazy occurrence

Be careful, for I feel a great air of wrong

Stirring within your soul."

Marlin gasped audibly. The voice continued, only not as sing-song. "Now, now. You are very shy and quite a bit mistreated." Marlin blushed and felt bitterly toward the Hat. He hated when people found out things he'd rather hide. "Oh, hush it, boy. Where were we? Ah, yes. You are deep down, a very disturbed boy. Something isn't right." The hat's voice got quiet. "I don't like this. No, no, not at all." Suddenly, " SLYTHERIN!", it was yelled out, ready to be done with the boy.

Marlin didn't have time to think about any of this.

The Hat was yanked clean off of his head by the Headmistress. Her brows were squished together in what appeared to be disbelief. "There you are. You are in the Slytherin House. I will have the Baron lead you to the Slytherin dormitories."

At this a ghost stepped through the wall of the room and glided to Professor McGonagall's side. The ghost was covered in what appeared to be blood, it was shiny and gray on his blouse. He gave off a rather frightening air. Marlin stood up, full of uncertainty. The ghost hovered to the door of the room, the chains he wore clanking dully on the wooden floor. 

Marlin followed the Bloody Baron down too many steps to count. Finally, they arrived in a dank, dimly-lit hallway. Marlin could see by the candles anchored to the stones of the walls that the hall was damp, and green slime covered the walls at least halfway up their height. He also smelt the strong scent of mold. He clamped his nose shut tightly with his thumb and forefinger to hold a sneeze back. The ghost continued to float along, not saying anything. Without his aid, Marlin would have gotten lost for sure. There were many twists and turns in the dark dungeons of the school.

Eventually, they entered a brightly-lit room. In the side farthest from them, were pale columns; three on each side, in straight lines. _Leading to what?_ Marlin wondered. All he saw at the end of the rows of columns was a wall. And to the wall was directly where Bloody Baron led him.

"Purus Sanguis." The ghost's voice was dull and rough. The wall folded in on itself and revealed what lay beyond it. Bloody Baron drifted away as Marlin marveled at the room before him.

The ceiling was low, and dark green and black gossamer hung down from it in great swoops. The room was decorated with rich wood tables and cabinets, most of which held green-colored lamps. Low backed green and black leather sofas held chattering teenagers. It was grand.

He made his way further into the common room and recognized a familiar face. Apparently, Vivikus noticed him too. The thin boy stood and walked to Marlin. "Your things are in the boys' dormitory. They were probably sent here as soon as the Hat made its decision." Vivikus turned to walk away. He took two or three steps and turned back to look at Marlin. He motioned with a jerk of his head for Marlin to follow him. Marlin followed, thinking, _Bloody hell, I seem to be doing an awful lot of following. I feel like a small duck trailing behind his mother._

The two boys made their way into the boys' dormitory. They had to push past several boys crowding the doorway. The room was dark, much like the rest of the dungeon, with large four-poster canopy beds. These beds had thick, dark-green curtains, blankets, and pillows. At the foot of one, was Marlin's old trunk.

The students of Hogwarts fell asleep quickly that night, tired from the day's travels. The next day would be the beginning of classes. Marlin was due for Charms first thing after breakfast. 


End file.
